Toe-weight for horses.



No. 859,685. PATENTED JULIQ, 1907 M. MGNALLEY 6: E. W. BRETZ.

INVENTORS zakeczZm TOE WEIGHT FOR HORSES.

APPLICATION TILED APR. 16' 1907.

By mzZ yaw- 55 Mfg;

A Tron/v5 rs UNITED. STATES. PATENT oFFroE.

MICHEAL MCNALLEY AND EMIL WILLIAM BRETZ, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TOE-WEIGHT FOR HORSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed April 16,1907. Serial No- 368,505.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MICHEAL MCNALLEY and EMIL WILLIAM Brm'rz, bothcitizens of the United States, and residents of St. Louis, in the Stateof Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Toe-Weight for Horses, ofwhich the following is a full, clear,.and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a toe weight having novel,simple parts, that are adapted for quick assemblage into complete form,and that is readily securedin place on the toe of a horse in a reliablemanner, without injury to the foot of the animal.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the preferred form of the toe weightapplied upon the hoof of a horse. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection, substantially on the line 22, in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detachedrear face view of the preferred form for the toe weight, seen indirection of the arrow as, in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view ofthe spur section removed from the body section thereof, and seen in thedirection of the arrow 9; in Fig. 2 Fig. 5 is a longitudinal verticalsectional view, of a modified form of the device, and Fig. 6 is alongitudinal sectional view, differing slightly from the constructionshown in Fig. 2.

In the preferred construction of the toe weight, as indicated in Figs. 1to 4 inclusive, of the drawings, the device embodies two main sections,of which 10 represents the weight body or block, and 11 a spur platethat affords means for the detachable connection of the portion 10 uponthe front face of the hoof A of a horse.

The section 11 consists essentially of a metal plate having a trefoilshaped contour, as appears in Fig. 3, and a concavo-convex formconsidered laterally, the concave face thereof being designed to haveintimate contact with the front surface of a hoof such as A, whereon thespur plate is to be secured.

Projecting laterally from the lower edge of the plate 11 are two flangesor toes l1 that are integral therewith, and spaced apart sufficiently toafford a gap between their adjacent edges a, a, as appears in Fig. 4.

Between the spurs 11 and projecting beyond the convex surface of theplate 11 are two spaced lugs a, a, which are under-cut along theiradjacent side edges, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4; and abovesaid lugs a rectangular opening b is formed in the spur plate, wherein acorrespondingly shaped nut b is insorted,-that seats upon the rabbetedupper faces of the lugs a, as indicated in Figs 3 and 4.

- In each corner of the trefoil shaped spur plate 11, a

counter-sunk perforation c is formed that receive screws 0 which passthrough said perforations into the hoof A, when the spur plate isafiixed thereon, and as indicated for one of said screws in Fig. 2, thebeveled heads of the screws that seat in the counter sinks of theperforations, are thus rendered flush with the outer or convex surfaceof the spur'plate.

Above the rectangular opening b in the spur plate 11 and forming theupper wall thereof is a forwardly proecting boss d that is preferablyrounded on its outer face, said boss having a perforation verticallytherethrough, which receives the body of a screw bolt 12, that will behereinafter more particularly described. I

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the toe weight block 10 is substantiallysemi-ovate in form having a flattened side thereon, which is concavedproperly to have intimate contact with the convex forward side of ananimals hoof such as A.

In the concave side a of the toe weight block 10, a recess g is formed,of a shape and dimensions that will permit the close-fitting embedmenttherein of the boss d, as appears in Fig. 2. The relative depth of therecess g and projection of the boss d is such, that when the latter iscompletely embedded in the recess, the concave surfaces of the spurplate and weight block 10 conform with each other, and thus adapt theassembled sections 10, 11 of the toe weight, to fit closely upon thehoof A.

Longitudinally in the weight block 10 a perforation isformedtherethrough that alines with the perforation in the boss d, anddown through these alined perforations the screw bolt 12 is inserted andscrewed into the nut b when the sections 10, 11 are to be connectedtogether, said screw passing loosely through the lower wall of theweight block 10.

In application of the preferred form of the toe weight, the spur platewhich is first to be attached to the hoof A, is imposed upon the hoof atits front face by forcing the spurs 11 between the lower surface of thehoof A and a shoe B, that has previously been secured upon the hoof. Thescrews 0 are now inserted into the hoof through the perforations in thespur plate, so as to fully embed their heads in the counter-sinks of theperforations, whereby the spur plate is rigidly secured upon the hoof.The weight block 10 is now mounted upon the spur plate, which will embedthe boss din the recess 9, the attachment together of the main sections10, 11 of the toe weight being completed by a screwed insertion of thethreaded lower end of the screw bolt 12 into the nut b.

In Fig. 5 the construction of the toe weight is shown in modified form,and comprises a weight block 10*, substantially similar in form to theweight block 10, having a concave back surface for seated engagementwith the hoof A of an animal. In the concave face of the weight block 10a recess h is formed, having a deeper depression at a point near thelower edge of the id block as indicated at h in Fig. 5. The peripheralvall of the recess it may have trefoil form to accommolate a likecontour of a spur plate 13. The spur plate mentioned is formed with aflange that projects laterally from a rectangular boss 13, said flangehaving such a thickness that when seated in the recess h the rearsurface thereof will be flush with the concave face of the weight block10. The spur plate 13 is secured in place by three screws 0 oneappearing in Fig. 5, the perforations wherein the screws are passedthrough the spur plate being countersunk, so as to permit the embedmentof the heads of said screws in the spur plate, as appears for one screwin Fig. 5. A recess is formed in the rear face of the boss 13 having asimilar contour thereto and cutting through the lower edge of the spurplate 13, this recess receiving the upper portion of a spur piece 14,which is closely fitted therein. The spur piece 14 is formed with awedge shaped flange or spur 14, which projects rearwardly from theWeight block 10 when in position for service, so that it may be insertedbetween the lower surface of the hoof A,

and the upper face of a shoe B on said hoof. In a perforationi thatextends from the front face of the weight block 1O therethrough, at apoint transversely central and a proper distance above the lower edge ofsaid block, and that is countersunk in the outer face thereof, aclamping screw 15 is inserted, passing into alined threaded perforationsin the wall of the boss 13 and in the upper portion of the L-shaped spurpiece 14, wherein the inner end of the clamping screw is firmly screwed.The screw 15 is held from becoming accidentally loosened by a set screwi, that is adjusted to impinge upon the head of the screw 15 when it isfully inserted. In the upper portion of the weight block 10 a transverseslot m is formed, through which a leather strap, not shown, may bepassed, so as to project therefrom at each side of the block, whichstrap may have engagement with a leather boot or the like frequentlyplaced on the pastern joints of a horse, to prevent the shoes frominterfering with said joints, and as such a detail does not constitute afeature of the invention, it is omitted from the drawings.

In Fig. 6 the toe weight shown is essentially the same in constructionas that represented in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, but has a strap of metalsuch as appears at 16, hinged by one end upon the upper end of theweight block 10 and thence extends upward for a secured connection witha leathern boot on the leg of the animal whereon the toe weights areplaced. It is to be understood that the spur plate shown in Fig. 6 is tobe secured in place upon the hoof of the animal by screws,

which pass through perforations in the spur plate, but are omitted fromthe drawings.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. A toe weight, comprising a weight block having a re cess in itsconcaved rear face and a .vertical perforation therein, a spur platehaving a perforated laterally projected boss that is seated in therecess of the block, means for securing the spur plate on the hoof of ananimal, a nut carried by the spur plate, and a screw bolt passingthrough the alined perforations in the weight block and in the boss,said bolt engaging with its threaded lower end the nut, whereby theblock and plate are held clamped together.

2. A toe weight, comprising a spur plate having a concaved rear face,and screw holes near the edge thereof, spurs on the lower edge of thespur plate projected rearwardly therefrom, a boss on the front face ofthe spur plate having a vertical perforation therethrough, the spurplate also having a transverse opening below the boss, a Weight block ofsubstantially ovate form but having a con caved rear face that conformswith the like face on the spur plate, the weight block being verticallyperforated in alinement with the perforation in the boss on the spurplate, a nut in the opening below the boss, and a screw bolt occupyingthe alined perforations in the block and boss, said bolt engaging itsthreaded lower end with the nut and thus clamping the weight block onthe spur plate.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses JOHN PEARSON. LoUIs SPELBRINK.

